on horseback on the morning of the 30th March, with the intention of driving some sheep, he noticed a large bird, which at a distance he took to be a hawk, endeavouring to carry off a young turkey. He immediately gave chase on his horse, when the bird dropped the turkey, and settled in a neighbouring gully. Riding into this, with the intention of frightening away the bird, Mr. New found himself almost on the top of a large bird altogether unknown to him. It was very slow in rising from the ground, so that he was able to seize it by the tip of one of its wings. After a struggle, he succeeded in mastering it, and took it home, where it lived for a few days. Mr. New's homestead is situated on a narrow neck of land between the Pahi and Arapaoa Rivers, flowing into the Kaipara Harbour, and is about half-way between the east and west coasts of the Island—that is, between twenty-five and thirty miles from the sea.

On examination, the specimen proved to be an adult female. Its total length was 30.9 in.; the spread of the wings from tip to tip was 60.8 in.; the length of the wings from the flexure to the tip of the primaries, 20.75 in.; length of tail, 12.5 in.; length of culmen, 3.7 in. It will be observed that these measurements correspond very closely to the average of those given for Fregata ariel by Mr. Ogilvie-Grant in the “British Museum Catalogue of Birds” (vol. xxvi, p. 449). The specimen also agrees with the description given of the plumage, the white collar round the back of the neck, considered to be one of the marks of the species, being specially prominent. The measurements, too, are considerably less than those of Fregata aquila, the greater frigate-bird, the only other member of the genus.

Although two species of Fregata are generally accepted by ornithologists, they differ little except in size and geographical distribution. The greater frigate-bird is found in all tropical seas, and occasionally strays into temperate regions. Three or four instances of its occurrence in New Zealand have been recorded, and attempts have been made to identify it with the “hokioi” of Maori tradition. In the Northern Hemisphere it has been captured as far north as the coast of Nova Scotia. The lesser frigate-bird has a more restricted range. It has been found from Madagascar to the Molucca Islands, and from thence southwards to Australia, being particularly plentiful in Torres Strait.

The frigate-birds are usually seen singly or in pairs, seldom congregating in any numbers except at their breeding-stations. They are truly oceanic, rarely visiting the land, except during the nesting period. Their marvellous powers of flight have often been described, and need not be specially mentioned here.